[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’ve never really understood the need for some folks to elevate their heels. If anything, I wouldn’t want to destabilize myself at all, and I certainly wouldn’t want to emphasize any chance of starting to lean foward during the movement.
S
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Not sure, but I think that not having elevated heels (on a person with flexibility/technique issues) would make you fall forward because you aren’t staying on your heels. Isn’t that why Olympic lifters use shoes with elevated heels?
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’ve never really understood the need for some folks to elevate their heels. If anything, I wouldn’t want to destabilize myself at all, and I certainly wouldn’t want to emphasize any chance of starting to lean foward during the movement.
S
[/quote]
I started experimenting with elevating heels about a year ago. I notice less posterior chain involvement and feel it in the VM much more. I’m sure I can squat the heaviest with flat feet but I don’t get as much pure quad involvement.
I notice this on the leg press too. If I push with my heels, I feel it in my butt. When I push with the balls of my feet, I feel more quads. I think the elevated heels just forces you to push more with the balls of your feet.
For the OP, In the 6 - 8 rep range, works out to about 75% for me as well. Rarely do I back squat though.
For Stu, just to share, and because I’m proud of myself, my Front Squat max is 305x1.
As for the elevated heels discussion, from what I’ve been able to determine, the heel elevation really only comes into play (for me at least) when you get to full squatting. I used to squat to parallel (back and front) in wrestling shoes, but once I got my Oly shoes I started going to full squats, something I couldn’t do in my wrestlers.
Thanks for all the input. Tomorrow is leg day. Think I will just try to lift heavy shit and see what happens. Hope I don’t blow a nut…